Lighthouses of Mexico: South Coast

This page lists of lighthouses of the south coast of Mexico in the
states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Colima, Guerrero, and Michoacán.
This coast includes the famous resorts of Acapulco and the Costa Alegre,
the major port of Manzanillo, and many smaller ports.

There are very few tall lighthouses along this coast. Tall towers aren't
needed, because in most places the coastline is high, and navigational
lights can be mounted high on the bluffs and headlands.

Tourism is a major industry on much of this coast, but only a few of
the lighthouses are tourist attractions. As a result, photos and visitor
information are rather scarce on the Internet. If you have information
on any of the lighthouses of Mexico, or photos you would be willing to
share, please let me know.

Mexico is a federal republic comprised of 31 states, and the lighthouses
are listed below by state. Mexican lighthouses are managed by the Secretaría
de Comunicaciones y Transportes, the cabinet agency that also manages
the country's airports and seaports. Many of the larger light stations
are staffed by resident civilian keepers.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS
World List of Lights. CF numbers are from the Mexican Cuaderno de Faros (Handbook of Lighthouses). Admiralty numbers are from volume G of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are
from Publication 111.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes
every 10 s. 22 m (74 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern,
three galleries, and four buttresses, adjoining a 1-story keeper's
house. Lighthouse painted white; lantern painted white with a red
roof. Howard Pine has contributed the photo at right, Wikimedia has several photos, a 2007 photo
is available, Farosmex has a closeup, Google has a street view, and Bing has a satellite
view. The three galleries record two successive extensions of
the tower. The buttresses were added with the last extension; Alex
Kano has an undated photo
of the previous version. The keeper's house now houses a Navy post,
due to increased drug smuggling along the coast. In older and quieter
times the keeper also served as the town mailman. Located on the main
street in Puerto Arista. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-042; CF-07-005.1; Admiralty
G3428; NGA 15308.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12
m (39 ft) round cylindrical tower with gallery, white with red bands. Entire lighthouse
is white. The Cuaderno has a small photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located just off the barrier beach about 30 km (19 mi) west of Paredón.
Best accessed by boat across the lagoon. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-115;
CF-20-110; Admiralty G3429; NGA 15304.

La Chichi

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every
10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse
is white. The Cuaderno has a small photo, and Google has a satellite
view. Located just off the barrier beach about 35 km (22 mi) east of the
entrance to the Laguna Inferior. Best accessed by boat across the lagoon.
Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-114; CF-20-105; Admiralty G3430; NGA 15300.

San Dionisio del Mar

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (55 ft); four white flashes every
16 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. The lighthouse
is white with one red horizontal band. Fernando Estudillo has a 2009 photo (the lighthouse was then all white),
and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the point of a spit projecting into the Laguna Inferior
about 10 km (6 mi) south of San Dionisio del Mar. Accessible only by boat.
Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-130; CF-20-100; Admiralty G3431.5; NGA 15296.

San Francisco del Mar

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); three white flashes
every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted with red and
yellow spiral bands. The Cuaderno has a small photo, and Google has a satellite
view. The lighthouse guides
vessels toward the entrance to the Laguna Inferior, a large lagoon.
Located on a long sand spit about 40 km (25 mi) east of Salina Cruz.
Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-073; CF-20-095; Admiralty G3431; NGA 15292.

* [Punta La
Ventosa (Punta Cortés, Faro de Cortés)]

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 8 m (26
ft) square cylindrical rubblestone tower with lantern and gallery.
Tower unpainted; the small lantern is red. A good 2010 photo is available, Leoncio Salinas Romero
has a photo,
a view from the sea is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite
view. This new light stands next to a smaller stone beacon (the original Faro
de Cortés) said
to have been built in the 16th century. The rubblestone design of
the new light matches that of the old. The lighthouse is named for the explorer and conqueror
Hernán Cortés, who arrived here in 1527. Located on a promontory about 800
m (1/2 mi) south of La Ventosa and 5 km (3 mi) east of Salina Cruz.
Site open, tower closed. Operator: Administración Portuaria
Integral de Salina Cruz (APISA). CF-20-060.1; Admiralty G3431.7.

* Morro de Salinas (Salina Cruz)

1896. Active; focal plane 83 m (272 ft); white flash every 8 s.
14 m (46 ft) octagonal masonry tower with 1-story stone keeper's
house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red; the tower also carries the
logo of the local port authority. A photo is at
right, a nice view is available, Leoncio Salinas Romero has a distant view,
and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. the lighthouse appears
to have been refurbished and repainted recently. Located atop a bluff (morro)
on the west side of the harbor of Salina Cruz. Accessible by road, but parking is limited. Site open, tower
closed. Operator: Administración Portuaria Integral de Salina
Cruz (APISA). ARLHS MEX-039; CF-20-060; Admiralty G3432; NGA 15272.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); three white flashes every
18 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with gallery and lantern. Lighthouse
painted white with black gallery and one black band in the middle of the tower.
Leigh Honeybourne's photo is at right, Trabas has Arndt's closeup photo, a 2009 closeup and another good photo are available, also a 2007 closeup, and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. Huatulco is about halfway between Puerto Ángel and Salina Cruz on
the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Oaxaca's best known lighthouse stands above a frequently visited
"blowhole" where the sea shoots upward through a narrow opening.
Located on a rocky point at the southwestern entrance to the Bahía
de Huatulco. Accessible by a paved road; parking provided but may be crowded. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-106;
CF-20-045;
Admiralty G3442; NGA 15260.

Puerto Ángel

1900. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46
ft) octagonal masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery red. Farosmex has a closeup, Thomas Aleto has a panoramic view, a view from the sea is available, and Bing has a satellite
view. This historic light station appears to be well preserved. It is probably staffed. Puerto Ángel is at the southernmost point of Oaxaca, at the
western end of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-119;
CF-20-030;
Admiralty G3444; NGA 15256.

Puerto
Escondido

1936. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15
m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery and lantern;
lantern roof is red. Farosmex has a closeup, David Cabrera's 2009 photo, part of a much larger view,
is at the top of this page, G. Sanial has a 2008 photo,
another photo is available, and Google has a satellite
view. Located at the edge of the cliffs at the western entrance to the
harbor. Site probably open but not so easy to find (local guidance may be needed); tower closed. ARLHS MEX-044;
CF-20-020; Admiralty G3446; NGA 15252.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); three white flashes every
12 s. 12 m (39 ft) square concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and
white horizontal bands, attached to a 1-story keeper's cottage. Farosmex has a closeup, Danny Sokal
has a closeup, a 2008 photo and
another photo are available, and Google has a satellite
view. Located on a headland on the west side of the entrance to the Lagunas
de Chacahua. Accessible by a hiking trail. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Lagunas
de Chacahua National Park. CF-20-010; Admiralty G3448; NGA 15244.

Guerrero Lighthouses

*Punta Maldonado

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (130 ft); two white flashes
every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white.
1-story keeper's house. Farosmex has a closeup, another closeup and a view
from the sea are available; Google has a street view, a second street view, and a satellite
view. Punta Maldonado is the southernmost town of Guerrero, and
the lighthouse stands on or close to the boundary between Guerrero
and Oaxaca. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-060;
CF-12-115; Admiralty G3452; NGA 15240.

Date unknown (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 115
m (377 ft); white flash every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical
concrete tower with four large ribs. Entire lighthouse painted white.
Tommie Head's photo is at right,
Farosmex has a closeup, and Google has a good satellite
view. Huelse has posted a postcard
image of a square pyramidal tower, and Eduardo Vazquez has an
image
of an octagonal masonry tower. This is a historic and still-staffed naval light station, but we need information on its
history. Despite the popularity of the Acapulco
resort area, the lighthouse is not very well known. Located at the
highest point of the island, at the southwestern entrance to the Bahía
de Acapulco. Accessible by passenger ferry from Playa Caletilla and
a hiking trail. Site and tower generally closed, although a Navy guard
allowed Rogillio to photograph the lighthouse. ARLHS MEX-069; CF-12-050; Admiralty
G3456; NGA 15208.

Punta Norte de la Roqueta (2?)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every
2 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery,
painted white with two narrow black horizontal bands. The Cuaderno has a small photo, and Bing has a satellite
view. Located on the north point of the Isla de la Roqueta marking
the entrance to the channel to the port of Acapulco. Site status unknown.
ARLHS MEX-143; CF-12-055; Admiralty G3460; NGA 15204.

1939. Active; focal plane 115 m (377 ft); three white flashes every 12 s.
13 m (42 ft) square cylindrical white tower without lantern attached to a
2-story keeper's house. Farosmex has a photo, another good photo
is available (halfway down the page), there's a view
from the sea, and Google has a good satellite
view. Located on the point, a very sharp promontory at the east side of
the entrance to the Bahía de Zihuatenejo. Accessible by walking trails
from the Playa las Gatas, a beach on the east side of the town; boats run
frequently to Playa las Gatas from the pier downtown. Site open, tower status
uncertain. ARLHS MEX-054; CF-12-020; Admiralty G3466; NGA 15180.

Michoacán (Costa Alegre) Lighthouses

Lázaro Cárdenas Entrance Range Front

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower is seen on the left in a distant view by Ciro Corvino Lopez and in a second distant view (the tower on the right in these photos is an aerobeacon), and Bing has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Río Balsas, the harbor of Lázaro Cárdenas, beside an on-ramp to the harbor bridge. Site and tower closed (the harbor area is a bonded warehouse district closed to the public). CF-16-045; Admiralty G3470.4; NGA 15160.5.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every
7 s. 36 m (118 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and
gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A photo by Yaritza Salgutz
is at right,
Farosmex also has a closeup, a view from the sea and a view from
the harbor are available, and Google has an excellent satellite
view. Named for a former President of Mexico, Lázaro Cárdenas
is a newly developed seaport in southernmost Michoacán. Located
in an industrial area on the west side of the harbor entrance. Site and tower closed. ARLHS MEX-142; CF-16-020; Admiralty G3469; NGA 15160.

Caleta de Campos (Bufadero Bluff)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); four white flashes
every 20 s. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and
gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. 1-story keeper's
house and other buildings. David Haggard
has a closeup,
Farosmex also has a closeup, a distant view is available, and Google has a satellite
view. The lighthouse is accessible from the coastal road (hwy
200) in Caleta de Campos, about 50 km (30 mi) west of Playa Azul.
Site status uncertain, but the lighthouse can be seen from nearby.
ARLHS MEX-140; CF-16-015; Admiralty G3471; NGA 15156.

Punta San Telmo (Faro de Bucerias)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); two white flashes
every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with keeper's
house. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Farosmex has a closeup, Henri Willox has a photo, J. Ernesto Ortiz Raso has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite
view. The beach east of the lighthouse is a well known turtle
sanctuary. Located on a high bluff in western Michoacán, about
1.5 km (1 mi) off the coast road (hwy 200). Accessible from the beach
via a long stairway. Site and tower open. ARLHS MEX-062; CF-16-010; Admiralty
G3472; NGA 15152.

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 109 m (358 ft); white flash every
5 s. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery,
attached to a 2-story keeper's house. Entire building painted white.
Anibal Galindo's photo is at right, Farosmex has a photo, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Marco Antonio Cacho Emult has a photo, the tower is at the far right of another photo,
and Google has a satellite
view. Located atop the point south southeast of Manzanillo, marking
the eastern entrance to the Bahía de Manzanillo. Accessible
by road, although the access road is narrow and winding. Site open,
tower possibly open by arrangement with the keeper. ARLHS MEX-052;
CF-06-030; Admiralty G3476; NGA 15140.

*San Pedrito Range Front

Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 30 m (98 ft); white flash every
3 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. The top of
the tower carries a rectangular daymark colored red with a yellow vertical
stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo,
and Google has a street view and a satellite
view. This is the entrance range for Manzanillo's commercial harbor. NGA
lists the focal plane as 14 m (46 ft), but it's clear from the photo that
the tower was doubled in height by the addition of a pyramidal upper section.
Located beside the Boulevard Miguel de la Madrid. Site open, tower closed.
CF-06-055; Admiralty G3480.4; NGA 15132.

*San Pedrito Range
Rear

Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 44 m (144 ft); white flash
every 3 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white,
mounted on a square concrete equipment room. The top of the tower
carries a rectangular daymark colored red with a yellow vertical stripe.
Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, and Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view.
NGA lists the focal plane as 23 m (75 ft), but it's clear from the
photo that the tower was doubled in height by the addition of a pyramidal
upper section. Located on a bluff above the Calle Acambaro, 350 m (1/4 mi) east northeast of the front light. Site open,
tower closed. CF-06-060; Admiralty G3480.41; NGA 15136.